A long time ago, Epson cartridges were single-use. There was a wax ring on the cartridge which sealed the cartridge to the printer; and if you ever removed the cartridge, you couldn't successfully reinstall it -- it would no longer make a good seal. I haven't used Epson printers in a very long time (for that and other reasons), so I'm not sure if that is still the case.

Another possible solution: Was the update to the Windows printer driver, or was the printer itself updated? If it was to the Windows printer driver, you could try uninstalling it and then installing the previous version of the driver.

The ink cartridges are not empty, they are full, they are ink.com cartridges and the printer won't print without genuine Epson cartridges in it. I am looking for a work around. It used to work but it may have gotten a sw update.
I may have to swear off HP and Epson both.
Where would one get a previous version of the driver?

I use a much older Epson printer (SX425W) and use 3rd party inks from www.stinkyink.com without any problems, but if you also had no problems prior to the driver update then you should be able to restore to prior the update.

Go Start - All programs - EPSON - right click on EPSON NX300 Series (where mine is SX425 Series) - select Properties then under the Previous Versions tab you should have a number of dates that you can select from prior to the driver update.

Download your original version printer drivers (if you don't know what version they were try the last-version-before current drivers or use your printer installation disk). Then completely reinstall current printer drivers and reinstall the older drivers. Reboot & test. If you still have the problem, try the same with printer firmware flash. Read upo carefully before the latter & only do if needed, done incorrectly it could brick your printer.

Does it work when you fit genuine Epson cartridges and then fail when you swap them with third party cartridges?

You say "it used to work but may have gotten a sw update". How long has it been since you last used it?

Inkjet printers must be used regularly and continuously, otherwise the ink dries in the cartridge and/or print head and the printer will no longer work. This may be the cause rather than a software update.

Some (Most?) Epson printers use cartridges with a chip on them and the chip includes an ink level. If your printer works with Epson cartridges but not these third party one and the third party ones are new or haven't been used before, it may be that the chip was incorrectly set or has become corrupt. So, even if you refilled a genuine Epson cartridge that the printer had flagged as empty, it would still think the cartridge was empty until the chip was reset.

There used to be chip resetters available for most printer brands (I got one for an Epson R200 from Morrisons Supermarket when I lived in the UK) but I don't know if they are still available.

Alternatively, as has been suggested earlier, it may be a driver issue (roll back to check) or an update to the Epson support software (try removing the software and re-install the software that came with the printer).

According to an Epson trained technician, the chips on their catridges don't read the ink level. He says that they are a page counter - which is even worse.

I bought a "continuous ink supply" kits for a previous Epson. Worked well until after a period of inactivity, when the head had to be cleaned, sometimes several times. Eventually, after an extended period of no use, I couldn't get it to print at all. It would have cost more to have the head replaced than to buy a new printer - which I did.

While searching for a software override for the chips' page counter I learnt that eventually the pads which mop up the stray ink on the jets will have to be replaced too. Just how much palaver that wold entail is not clear.

But I still haven't found the software override which I am sure is out there somewhere.

While I no longer use my Epson printer as much as I used to, having given the cartridges a good shake before fitting them, I've never had any problems when I do need to use it and removing then giving them a good shake could be a first IA when the printer does stop printing from a benign position.

According to an Epson trained technician, the chips on their catridges don't read the ink level. He says that they are a page counter - which is even worse.

I bought a "continuous ink supply" kits for a previous Epson. Worked well until after a period of inactivity, when the head had to be cleaned, sometimes several times. Eventually, after an extended period of no use, I couldn't get it to print at all. It would have cost more to have the head replaced than to buy a new printer - which I did.

While searching for a software override for the chips' page counter I learnt that eventually the pads which mop up the stray ink on the jets will have to be replaced too. Just how much palaver that wold entail is not clear.

But I still haven't found the software override which I am sure is out there somewhere.

are you sure epson does not require a chip in the cartridge that it uses to block non epson inks ?

some vendors clone the chips that printer makers use
and some of them have ways to reset a chip in a refill
but if your printer needs the chip in the cartridge and it is not correct then the ink wont work

its an ongoing war by printer makers to illegally restrain trade
so they can make more money on their overpriced inks
(as proven when ibm got sued for requiring only their punch cards be used
others got to sell cards cheaper and the ibm machines worked just fine)

i wonder why they have not all started doing that with their lasers too
that may come soon but laser profits are smaller margins than the ink

Originally Posted by philomel

My epson NX300 just got an update and now won't operate without Epson ink.
Is there an override?

That is the most amazing site. Thanks for the reference. Printer makers seem to spend inordinate effort on their blade design driving folk to simply buy a newer razor or <gasp> move to a different technology.

After I discovered how much cheaper and faster a laser printer could be, I rarely use the ink jet. My Brother laser printers are quite reliable and way less expensive for day-to-day printing.

I agree with you. I am saving up for a laser printer. I realized that although laser cartridges cost much, much more, the ink never dries out and you don' have to refill them(messy job). I have invested in ink and refill kit for the epson but the HP uses different ink. Mine are AIO's with scanner and the Epson is a fax. They both copy. Now to find a reliable printer, fax, copy laser jet whigh doesn't have a 150MB driver SW. Hp has gone nuts with junkware.
Both of mine were given to me years ago. I have never seen the SW size listed for a printer in the specs. the Hp came with a 20MB driver then later the update went balloon to 158.65MB. Maybe Cannon or Lexmark?